ESPN's Pat Forde pulls no punches re Mayo/USC

[Mr. Neutral]

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/ ... ortCat=ncb

Also, Forde was on Kornheiser's radio show this morning, felt that the story was likely 100% correct, and suggested that USC should fire Floyd, his assistants, the compliance staff, and AD Mike Garrett, not only for this incident, which he felt anyone could see coming, but also the Reggie Bush incident.

Kornheiser added that he'd call Pete Carroll in and say "see those guys going out the door? That will be you if there's another Bush-like incident with your football team".

They were both opposed to the "one and done" rule, not for its intent, but for how it's worked out. Kornheiser suggested that NCAA basketball should adopt what baseball does, which is that, after HS, you either go into the draft, or you commit to 3 years of college ball. The NBA Player's Association would never agree to that, of course.

[Masterofreality]

You know what I want to know?

Sure, USC is culpable for a lack of institutional control, but where are the NCAA investigators in all of this? If ESPN can come up with all of this evidence for a TV show, and it's about a high profile player with questions surrounding him coming in, how is this whole thing not on the NCAA's radar screen from day one?

Maybe it's because USC is a "big time program" that always, somehow is allowed to slip by while schools like Nicholls State, Central Oklahoma, and Indiana U of Pennsylvania are put on probation. The little guys don't generate enough money in TV ratings and attendance, but USC sure does. Also, I'm sure that USC's highly paid lawyers are shrewd enough to get them off the hook- sort of like UC when they were able to avoid more severe penalties in the Charles Williams case under The Coiffed One a few years ago.

This seems to be somewhat similar to the APR "penalties". Centenary loses scholarships while Ohio State merely files a "plan for improvement" and slips out of any penalty.

While Miles Brand pontificates on the purity of collegiate athletics, the stuff that goes on below the surface continues to be very ugly- and the lack of penalty assessment consistency is appalling.

[Mr. Neutral]

MOR, are you suggesting that some people and institutions are treated more "fairly" than others? Shocking!

We old farts remember how everyone knew, but did nothing about, legendary UCLA basketball benefactor Sam Gilbert helping out players. But, because the Bruins were, by far, the top program in the country, and Wooden himself was above reproach, the whole thing was ignored.

[MarionHall4ever]

I loved Kornheiser's suggestion that Tim Floyd and the USC AD be fired immediately and that Pete Carroll be instructed to take a good look, because he's next if anything more happens in his program. That's probably a necessary first step if anybody really wants to get serious about cleaning this sewer.

His suggestion that the NBA/NCAA basketball follow the same rule as baseball (let the high shool kids go right to the pros if they want to do so, but require that anybody who actually enrolls in an NCAA institution to wait three years for draft eligibility) is the same suggestion that Michael Beasley's Coach made last month at Beasely's press conference. I think it is an idea with more than a little merit.

Some guys who attempt the jump from high school to the pros will make it and most will wash out. It's their choice and I think that the game of college basketball will be beter off without them. If that sounds harsh, well, so be it. Nothing says that they can't go back to school and earn a degree on their own if they wash out. They might actually have to balance a real job and school and develop some serious study habits to accomplish that feat, but I think that a lot of the members of "the Madness" are well qualified to assure any such aspirant that his degree will mean more to him in the long run by taking that route.

Mayo himself is a great argument for allowing high school kids to make the jump directly to the pros. Like Lebron before him, he has the skills, the body, the game, the complete package to make the transition. Blocking the path of a kid like him only serves to encourage the sort of hypocrisy that permeates NCAA Division I sports.

If what is being reported about him is true, however, he also may have been getting paid while he was in high school at North College Hill. And that is an entirely different matter and far more troubling. If true, the adults (and I don't mean Mayo himself when he turned 18) who were complicit at that level should be subject to criminal prosecution.

[muskieman]

Marion you said: If true, the adults (and I don't mean Mayo himself when he turned 18) who were complicit at that level should be subject to criminal


What law are they breaking? Rules and laws of the NCAA maybe but are they really breaking state, federal or even local laws?

[MarionHall4ever]

Muskieman,

Yours is a fair question.

In the State of Ohio we did at one time have a statute (ORC Section 2915.06) which criminalized "the corrupting of athletic or sporting events". It was repealed in 1996.

We still do have a statute (ORC Section 2915.05) which criminalizes "cheating". Section (B) of that statute prohibits "Knowingly, offer(ing), giv(ing), solicit(ing), or accept(ing) anything of value or engaging in conduct designed to corrupt the outcome of an athletic or sporting event." A first offense of that section, believe it or not, is punishable as a felony of the fifth degree. Each subsequent offense is punishable as a felony of the fourth degree.

Now, I readily acknowledge that this section raises the issue of "gambling", which, heretofore, has not been mentioned as part of this post, but gambling is absolutely a risk posed when adults of questionable moral character and even more questionable motives form financial associations with college and high school athletes.

Further, we have an entire body of law (statutory and common law) devoted to the area of Juvenile Law, in which the minor's activities are judged by a Judge or Magistrate (no juries) and because "the best interests of the child" is the standard applied, the Judge or Magistrate has an incredible amount of control and oversight authority of the Juvenile in question. Adults who "corrupt" minors are usually perceived to have done so in a sex-crime context, but that is not the only sense of the word "corrupt", and unless you are a Judge, Prosecutor or a criminal defense attorney, you would probably be amazed at the ingenuity of Prosecutors in finding ways to obtain indictments against those who "corrupt" minors. Prosecutions on this level are a matter of State law.

In addition there is a pretty extensive body of federal tax law which can be used for purposes of criminal prosecution. (Remember how Elliot Ness went after Al Capone?) I sincerely doubt that if young Mr. Mayo -- or any other similarly situated "amateur" athlete -- received any payments, that such payments were reported as "income" for tax purposes. If such amateur athlete was going to claim that any such payment was a "gift" (for purposes of "gift tax law), there are also filing requirements for that. Failure to file tax returns makes for a really easy case to prosecute.

And as a practical matter, a Grand Jury (the mechanism utilized under Ohio law for obtaining felony indictments) is a Prosecutor's playground. No defense attorney gets to appear there and rare is the Defendant who agrees to appear there by himself or herself. Accordingly, the Grand Jurors hear only what they are told by the Prosecutor who is seeking the indictment. Whether or not the government can actually prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt isn't really relevant at that stage of the proceedings. (That's why we have trials.)

Having said that, I don't pretend for a moment that what I have written is an exhaustive list. However, if the reports emerging about young Mr. Mayo are true, then I do believe that there are local, State and Federal laws which may well have been violated.

[muskieman]

Interesting and thank you for your research. I wonder if any Prosecutor would bring up charges, except the former one in the Duke area. I think that if the feds went after young Mr Mayo we would be seeing the "Free Mayo" shirts popping up. Of course if a few guys went to jail including a person like Mr Mayo it would certainly have a chilling effect on a lot of misdoings.

Maybe Tim Floyd will turn out to be a Pete Bell: "Boys, the rules don't make much sense. But I believe in the rules. Some of us broke them. I broke them. I can't do this. I can't win like this."

[MarionHall4ever]

I'm not a prosecutor and I don't want to see Mayo, himself, get dragged into the criminal justice system. I would like to get one of those "Free Mayo" shirts, though, if you happen to come across one.

[wkrq59]

MOR, been trying to post on this site for two days. Unsuccessful. This ESP"N story is tip of the iceberg. It's going to get more aggravating, funnier and worse

[muskieman]

I'm not a prosecutor and I don't want to see Mayo, himself, get dragged into the criminal justice system. I would like to get one of those "Free Mayo" shirts, though, if you happen to come across one.

You are on the list...with the special price.